^, 


%^.;'"^  ^ 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


lii|Z8     |25 

■5.0   ^^^     H^HB 


m 


■  41 


IL25  III  1.4 


|22 


1.6 


Phoiographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14S80 

(716)  873-4503 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


^ 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notaa/Notas  tachniquaa  at  bibiiographiquas 


Tha  Inatituta  haa  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  bast 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturas  of  this 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographically  uniqua, 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagaa  in  tha 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
tha  uauai  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


□    Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


D 


D 


D 
0 


D 


D 


Couverture  endommagte 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur^  et/ou  pellicuMe 


I      I    Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


I      I    Coloured  maps/ 


Cartes  giographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


I      I   Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Ralii  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  mny  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serrde  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  int^rieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajouttes 
lors  d'une  restau  ration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte. 
mais,  lorsque  cela  Atait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  filmAes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppldmentaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm*  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  iti  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-§tre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  una 
modification  dans  la  mtthoda  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquAs  ci-dessous. 


□   Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

0    Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagias 

r~n    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
lAll    Pages  restaurtes  et/ou  pelliculAes 


\/ 


D 


Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  ddcolories,  tachetdes  ou  piquies 


I      I    Pages  detached/ 


Pages  ddtachdes 

Showthroughy 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Qualiti  indgale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplimentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


r~7|  Showthrough/ 

I      I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I      I  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

I     I  Only  edition  available/ 


The 
toll 


Tha 
posi 
ofti 
film 


Grig 

begi 

the 

sion 

othfl 

first 

sion 

or  III 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  bean  ref limed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  una  peiure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  filmies  A  nouveau  de  fa^on  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


The 
shall 
TINl 
whic 

Map 
diffe 
entir 
begii 
right 
requ 
matt 


This  item  is  filmed  at  tha  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu*  ci-dessous 

10X                            14X                            18X                            22X 

26X 

30X 

V 

12X 

16X 

20X 

24X 

28X 

32X 

The  C9py  fllmad  h«r«  hat  b««n  reproduced  thanks 
to  th«i  generosity  of: 


L'exemplaire  fllmA  fut  reproduit  grAce  k  la 
g6nArositi  de: 


New  Brunswick  Museum 
St.  John 

The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning 'on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ^-  (meaning  "COIV- 
TINUED"),  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


New  Brunswick  IMuseum 
St.  John 

Les  imeges  suivantes  ont  AtA  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  nettetA  de  rexempleire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exempleires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  ImprimAe  sent  fiimto  en  commen^ant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exempleires 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminent  par 
la  derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboies  suivants  apparaltra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ration.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  t  des  taux  de  reduction  diff Arents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  flimi  A  partir 
de  I'angle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

1^1 1 


:>.;*■>■ 


til 


J\f 


f»:¥y 

■ 

5^51   - 

NARRATIVE 

OF  THE 

S:H1PWRECK  AND  SUFFERINGS 


OF  THE  CREW  AND  PASSENGERS  OP  TUH 


ENGLISH  BRIG  NEPTUJVE, 


"^n 


W|wcb  was  wrecked  tn  a  violent  snow  Storm  ^^ 
Q^  January,  1830,  oa  her  passage  from  Bristol, 

to  Qjiebec. 


Hh 


By  JOHN  SMITH, 
latlvo  of  New- York,  and  Chief  Mate  of  said  Brig^, 


Of  seventeei  souls  on  board  bat  six  succeeded  io  reael^ 

ing  the  shore,  among  whom  was  the  wife  and  a  son  of 

the  captain,  who  was  unfortunately  drowned  in  an 

attempt  to  save  the  life  of  one  of  his  children — the 

iurvivors,  after  eodorins  great  hardships  for  14 

days,  on  a  wild  and  uninhabited  coast,  were 

fortunately  discovered  and  conducted  to-an 

English  settlement  by  a  friendly  IndiaDi^ 


sase 


NEW-YORK,  Published  by  J.  Skith^  price  12  12  Cfs* 

183a, 


"W 


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':k 

1 

f 

.^ 

f 

£ 

P 

■fer 

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^ 

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t 

::jae8fe^ia*vrf-i: 


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C'J- 


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i> 


Southern  District  0/ New-Tor k^  s.s. 

BE  IT  REMEMBERED,  Th?t  oD  the  twentv  fourth  ddjp 
•f  March,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty*  and  in 
the  fifty  fourth  year  of  the  Independence  of  the  United ; 
States  of  America,  JOHN  SMITH,  of  said  District,  bath 
deposited  in  this  office  the  title  of  a  book,  the  right  where- 
•f  he  claims  as  author,  in  the  following  words,  to  wit. — 
**  Narrative  of  the  Shipwreck  and  Sufferings  of  the  crew  of 
ihc  English  Bri^  Neptune,  which  was  wrecked  in  a  Tiolent 
•now  storm  on  thei2th  January,  1830 1  on  her  passage  from 
Bristol  (Eng.)  to  Quebec. — By  John  Smith,  a  native  cf  New- 
York,  and  chief  Mate  of  said  Brig— of  seventeen  souls  on  , 
koard  but  six  succeeded  in  reaching  the  shore,  among  whonii 
YMtiM  wife  andeonofth  Captain,  whewas  unfortunately 
frowned  in  an  attempt  to  save  the  life  of  one  of  his  children-^ 
Ihe  aunrivors,  after  enduring  great  hardships  for  14  days,  on 
a  wild  and  uninhabited  coast,  were  fortunately  discovered 
•nd  conducted  to  an  English  settlement  by  a  friendly  Indian. 

fai  conformity  to  an  act  of  Congress  of  the  United  Stateg, 
entitled  **  an  act  for  tha  encouragement  of  learning  by  so* 
curing  the  copies  of  maps,  charts  and  books  to<  the  authorf 
And  proprietors  of  such  copies  during  the  time  therein  mcJ^ 
tioned,  and  also  to  an  act  entitled  "  an  act  supplementary 
io  an  act  entitled  an  act  for  the  encouragement  of  learning 
hj  securing  the  copidb  of  mape,%harts  and  books,  to  the 
authors  and  proprietors  of  such  copies  during  the  time  there> 
ill  mentioned,  and  e?rtending  the  benefits  thereof  to  the  artA 
af  de8igning,engraving  and  etching  historical  and  other  printQ< 
Witness,     Fred^  J<  Bbtts. 

I»terk  of  the  Southern  District  of  N.yorkK 


.%<.:       "':■    'V 


l:^< 


t*'-*^ 


ni  in 
nited  - 
bath 
here- 
nt.— 

BW  of 

tolent 
from 
Now- 
iIb  on . 
whoiQi 
nately 
Iren— ' 
ys,  on 
Dvered 
kdian. 
Btateg, 
by  80* 
lujthorf 

ueidary 
earning 
to  the 
etherer»^v 
the  arts^  ^ 
rprintsi   -* 


SHIPWRECK  AND  SUFFERINGS 
OF  THE  dREW  AND  PASSENGERS  OF  Tff& 

BRIG  NEPTUNE. 


AFTER  ao  absence  of  nearly  three  yean.,. 
from  .my  native  country,  on^the  2sih  day  of  Novem- 
ber, 1829,  I  shipped  as  first  mate  on  board  the  brig 
^.  J&eptunef  Captain  Charles  Mason,  for  a  voyage  from 
Briflitol  (Eng.)  to  Quebec ;  with  the  promise  of  there 
receiving  my  discharge,  and  with  the  intention  of 
proceeding  from  thence  to  the  city  of  New-York, 
where,  I  supposed;  1  hadan  aged' and  widowed  motht 
er  living.  I  had  flattered  myself  with  the  >pro»pecti 
of  a  short  and  pleasant  voyage^  but  so  fw'  from  its 
being  realized,  it  was  my  misfortune  to  experie&ce  a 
sad  reverse— the  most  remarkable  events  ofwhich,  I 
must  beg  liberty  to  relate  as  they  occurred,  without 
eraament  or  art—I  am  but  little  used  to  writing,  the 
reader  must  not>,  therefore,  espect  to  meet  with  any 


t'-'.-r'ir^ 


i^"^^-^ 


SHIPWRECK  OF  THE 


manner  ofelegnncf*  in  my  stile,  in  which  he  will  find 
nothing  but  the  frank  language  of  h  shI  I  or,  which  I- 
hope,  will  be  accepted  as  an  apology  for  it?  incorrect- 
ness. We  set  sail  about  nine  A.  Al.  with  seventeen 
souls  on  boatc)|  including  the  captain's  wife  and  (wo 
sons,  one  six  and  the  other  eight  years  of  age.  The 
wind  continued  with  little  variation  favourable,  and 
the  weather  not  unpleasant,  untti  late  in  the  after- 
Doon  of  the  2d  of  January,  when  we  experienced  o 
thift  of  wind  nearly  a-head,  which  from  its  rapid  in* 
•rease,  and  beclouded  and  threatening  aspect  of  the- 
horizon,  was  considered  as  a  sure  indication  of  an  ap- 
proaching storm— at  twelve  at  night,  the  wind  in- 
creased almost  to  a  hurricane  *,  but  having  a  staunch 
good  vessel,  and  as  we  supposed  a  plenty  of  sea  room, 
we,  at  its  commencement,  apprehended  but  littll^ 
danger,  but  in  this  we  too  soon  found  our  mistake^ 
for  having  now  reached  a  cold  latitude,  in  an  inclem- 
ent season,  and  the  wind  rather  increasing  than  abj^i^— - 
ing,  in  the  morning  of  the  3d,  the  sails  and  the  rigging 
became  so  stiff  with  ice,  as  to  render  the  brig  almost 
unmanageable,  and  the  sun  .being  completely  ob« 
scared  and' bidden  from  our  sight  by  thick  clouds, 
and  .preventing  an  observation,  we  were  left  to  the 
mercy  of  the  winds,  which  were  driiring  us  we  knew 
not  whither,  but  in  the  opinion  of  all,  far  out  of  our 
course,  as  it  afterward  proved — what  we  all  suffered 
from  the  intense  cold  (particularly  the  wife  and  chil- 
dren of  the  poor  unfortunate  captain)  can  be  best 
conceived  by  such  of -my  sea-fariitg  brethren,  whost 


.A^V 


^-■ 


'.¥ 


■m 


I  , 


.m 


T.NOUSH  BRIG  KEPTUNU. 


Snd 
h  I 
ect- 
:een 
iwo 
Th« 
ancV 
fter- 
;ed  a 
d  ID' 
fthe 
n  ap- 
l    in- 
tunch 
■oom, 
Httt% 
)take, 
clem- 

ilmoBt 
ob- 
louds, 
to  the 

knew 
of  our 
ijSered 
d  chil- 
e  best 

whoBf 


fnte  it  m*)y  hnvo  been  to  navigate  these  northern  lati« 
tudei  in  mirl-itinter— leveral  of  our  most  able  bodieid 
tiflainen  became  lo  frost  bitten,  as  to  b$  unable  to 
itiind  on  their  feet,  and  to  add  to  our  misfortune,  our 
Wittsr  froisfl  to  a  solid  cake  of  ice,  which  we  were 
oblipitid  to  out  off  in  small  pieces  and  dissolve  in 
our  mouths. 

Such  woi  our  situation  from  the  second  to  the 
^weldth  of  JiinuMry,  when  in  the  evening  about  nine 
o'clock,  in  HN  violent  a  snow  storm  as  was^ver  prob- 
Hbly  ^xperieoctd  by  man,  and  which  so  obscured 
•very  tbin(j[  tVom  our  view,  as  to  prevent  our  dis- 
eerning  no  object  of  the  brig's  size  twice  her  length 
dheiKl,  timid  the  roar  of  the  wind  and  waveis,  the  un- 
welcomed  sound  of  breakers  were  heard,  and  in 
twenty  minutes  ufier  the  brig  struck— alas,  what  « 
scene  of  distress  now  ensued! — exclamations  of  hor- 
ror And  dispiir  became  general — and  the  lementa- 
is  of  the  poor  unfortunate  female,  and  her  two 
bolploif  cbildrirt,  were  sukficient  to  melt  the  hardest 
beurt  t— they  all  clung  to  the  husband  and  parent 
begging  for  that  protection,  which  it  was  not  in  the 
power  of  any  human  being  to  afiford  them — the  miisf 
biding  loosened  by  the  shock,  quivered  over  our 
biodf,  and  the  sails  w^re  torn  in  a  thousand  pieces 
-^indeed,  the  fury  of  the  storm — the  darkness  of 
the  nigbt—tbodHshtngofthe  waves  against  our  strand- 
ed brig,  and  the  prospect  of  an  immediate  death, 
ivhicb  we  were  all  in  momentary  expyectation  of— ere* 
ttad  «  iceno  of  horror  past  description  —but  in  whsit- 


m 


n 


)4 


\  .  .1 


\ 


'%         'SHIPWRECK  6r  trie 

c?er^itiiiition  fate  may  place  mankind,  however  dli* 
Ireffliug,  it  is  an  acknowledged  fact,  that  life  ii  sweet, 
'and  each  one  of  as  w&s  endeaTOuring  to  preserve  it 
by  clini^ing  or  lashing  ourselves  to  the  wreck — but  in 
^his  all  were  not  successful,  for  at  day's  dawn  it  was 
•discovered  that  four  of  our  number  were  missing, 
whom  it  was  conjectured  became  so  frozen  as  to  be 
Unable  to  help  themselves,  tmd  were  washed  over- 
board— yet  contrary  io  the  ^pectations   of  every 
other  soul  on  board,  the  captain's  wife  and  two  chil- 
dren were  found  among  the  living. 

The  day  dawnod,  but  only  to  present  us  if  pos- 
sible with  a  more  melancholly  view  of  our  situation— 
land  was  indeed  discemabie  ahead,  but  without  th4 
appearance  of  being  inhabited,  and  at  so  great  a  dis- 
tancfe'thdt  an  attempt  to  reach  it  with  our  boats  or 
by  swimming,  appeared  to  promise  nothing  but  the  in- 
evetable  destruction  of  onr  lives,  for  the  waves  agi- 
tated by  the   winds  rolled  and  broke  with  such^ 
lence  against  the  rocks,  which  were  not  di8cemabl6 
above  the  surface  of  Ihe  water,  that  had  any  attempt* 
ed  it  he  fnust  have  run  the  risk  of  being  launcheil 
back  into  the  main  ocean,  or  d;ished  to  pieces  againiit 
the  rocks.     Several  hotirs  parsed  thus,  without  out 
being  able  to  conclude  what  whs  best  to  be  done  iti 
our  deplorable  situation— to  remain  much  longer  in 
"that  in  which  we  theu  w  re,  all  believeit  impossible, 
as  the  brig*8  stern  was  airear'y  stove  in  by  the  wavef 
•and  there  was  no  certainty  thatohe  would  holi)  togeth- 
"^  from  one  minute  to  auotherj  and  shouki  it  havfe 


..-^^mX.^&.'^^JjJi.^. 


ENGLISH  BRIG  NEPTUNE. 


^ 


eet, 
e  It 
itia 
was 

0  be 
►ver- 
ivery 
chil- 

'  p08- 

It  tb« 
a  dis- 
ats  or   - 
Lhe  in- 
es  agl- 

K 
rnable 

tempt- 

uncheA 

ngainit 

out  out 

lone  in 

)nger  m 

io8sible» 

e  wavei 

1 togeth- 

it  bavfc 


proved  otherwise,  an')  we  h»ve  attempted  to  remain 
another  night  on  the  wreck,  all  must  have  perished, 
as  our  tire  had  become  extinguished  and  without  a 
possibility  to  rekindle  it,  and  if  enabled  to  resist  the 
calls  of  hunger  the  cold  was  too  piercing  to  be  long 
endured' 

In  this  awful  deliroa,  we  couM  do  nothing  more  than 
to  huddle  oursefives  together  on  the  quarter  deck, 
and  thus  attempt  to  contract  heat  one  from  another, 
placing  the  unfortunate  mother  and  her  two  wretched 
offspring  in  the  centre— while  thus  situated,  little 
eipecting  any^  oiher  deliverance  than  that  produced 
by  death,  every  buppliant  h'and  was  raised  in  petition 
to  Providence  to  afford  us  some  unforeseen  means  of 
escaping  to  the  shore.  There  never  could  be  a  more 
fervent  petition.^  Heaven  at  length,  seemed  to  look 
down  with  pity  and  compassion  on  our  miseries— 
truly  we  could  say  the  Lord  is  a  prayer  answering. 
U-for  when  we  little  expected  it,  of  a  sudden, 
the  wind  began  to  abate,  and  the  agitation  of  the  sea 
in  a  measure  to  subside,,  insomuch  that  one  of  our 
hands  who  was  supposed  to  be  the  best  swimmer  oe 
board,  having  contemplated  the  distance  to  the  shore, 
resolved  to  attempt  the  passage  at  the  risk  of  bis  life, 
observing  that  he  could  btxt  die  in  the  attempt,  and 
if  such  should  be  his  fate  he  should  conceive  him-* 
self  better  off  than  to  be  doomed  to  pass  another  night 
on  the  wreck — thus  resolved  ,he  plunged  into  the 
sea,  and  we  saw  him  for  many  minutes  attempting  to> 
oombat  with  the  waveS)  which  sometimet  httrrieA« 


>.• 


m 


B 


«      '■* 


'   ♦ 


i 


\ 


W\ 


SHIPWRECK  OF  THE 


• 


him  forward  almoitto  touch  tht  ihore,  th*n  waibod 
back  into  the  deep,  diiappeariag  for  lome  minutely 
aod  appearing  again  only  to  be  leen  daihed  againit 
the  rocki— the  poor  fellow  became  at  length  eibauat- 
ed  and  (Kinlc  to  riie  no  more. 

Our  number  wan  now  reduced  to  twelve  miierable 
soulff,  who  could  net  but  ?iew  themielrei  in  a  iiitaa- 
tion  worse  them  that  of  their  unfortunate  companion 
whom  they  had  seen  perish  befoPt  their  eyei,  but 
whose  suflerings  were  at  an  end.  As  we  could  now 
only  look  to  Heaven  for  deliverance,  we  did  not  for 
a  moment  suspend  our  prayers  and  supplications,  4nd 
1  truly  believe  that  we  did  not  pray  in  vain,  for  the' 
wmd  continued  to  abate  and  the  sea  became  less  bois- 
terous, insomuch  that  at  noon,  we  began  to  turn  our 
attention  to.  the  boat,  which  although  in  a  leaky  coap 
dition,  andso  filled  with  ice  as  to  render  it  eitremely  ■ 
difficult  to  launch  her,  yet  there  was  now  but  one  al« 
ternative  left  us,  either  to  attempt  the- passage  atj|he 
hazard  of  our  liy^Sj  or  to  remain  where  we  wer(^nd 
perish,  together,.,  for  not  oqe  soul  of  us  .could  have 
survived  another  night.  , 

After  much  hard  labour  we  suceeeded  in  getting 
the  boat  ovefeboard^  and  by  casting  lots,  determined 
who  of  us  should  attempt  the  first  passage— it  fell  to 
fi-ve,  including  myself  Had  the  Captain's  wife  and 
•id^t  son,  which  wae  nUthe  boat  wonld  contain 
with  any  degree  of  safety.  Before  letving  the  wreck 
acoil  of  spare  rigging  was  put  into  the  boat,  one  end 
•f  which  was  attached  to  the  brig's  foremast,  with. 


K 


■f 


*' 


§  'y 


^  ' 


'*^ii^.mm- 


f 


U'-m^'- 


gettiog* 
mined ' 
fell  to 
Ife  and 
lontain 
wreck 
!•  end 
with' 


i 


ENGLISH  BRIG  NEPTUNE. 


w 


/d 


which  it  w«8  the  intention  of  thoie  left«oo  board  to> 
warp  back  the  boat  if  we  should  be  so  fortanatf  as  to 
•acceed  in  reaching  the  shore,  which  with  bat  very 
feint  hopes  of  doing  we  at  parHlg  shook  each  of  oop 
shipmates  by  the  hand,  and  bi#  them  an  affectonate 
adieut  expecting  that  if  we  ever  met  them  again,  il 
would  in  all  probability  be  in  another  world-~the  sep* 
eration  of  the  captain  and  hi»  wife  and  little  son,  waH 
affecting  beyond  description.  All  things- now  being 
in  readiness,  the  word  was  given  *^  cast  off!"  and  in 
a  moment  our  crazy  bark  was  mounted  on  the  while- 
foaming  surf  to  half  the  height  of  the  brig's  main  mast 
—we  yet  however  possessed  sufficient  strength  with- 
our  oars  to  k^ep  her  head  to  the  shore,  and  when  * 
but  B  little  distance  from  the  wreck  a  prodigious  wave 
took  us  ii^itan  instant  to  more  than  half  the  distance, 
and  a  second  in  quick  succession  threw  us  with  vio- 
lence upon  a  sandy  shore. 

A)i  soon  as  we  were  all  so  fortunate  as  to  recover  * 
jofieet,  we  displayed  one  of  our  hats  in  the  air, 
which  was  extended  upon  the  end  of  an  oar4pihe. 
signal  •  agreed  upon  of  -  our  safe  landing,  before  we 
qnit  the  wreck.  In  a  moment  it  was  answered  by, 
he  boat's  shooting  back  through  the  foami«g  suif,  by. 
aid  of  the  warp— -and  in- about  half  an  hour>  we  had 
the  satisfaction  to  see  the  boat  returning  with  those* 
who  were  left  on  board  the  wreck.  This  was  bow* 
ever  a  satisfaction  which  was  but  a  few  moments  en> 
j  oyed — fate  had  determined  that  these  poor  fellows 
should  be  less  fortunate  than  ourselves,  for  when 


w. 


"■--?%, 


■-■i".'*. 


■i:^^ 


i% 


n 


SHIPWRECK  OF  THE 


« 


within  abouftfventy  rods  of  the  ohore,  they  were  met 
and  capsized  by  the  surf!  we  now  gave  them  all  up- 
as  lost,  as  we  conceived  that  not  one  could  reach  the 
shore  unfess  by  a  roil^icle — in  thin  we  were  however 
mistiiken)  for  a  great'^w'^ll  in  an  in^ttunt  after  threw 
the  unfortunate  captain  wit'iin  our  reach,  and  we 
were  so  fortunate  as  to  r»:.«cue  him  from  a  watery 
grave,  and  without  hi»  having  apparently  sustained 
very  great  bodily  injory-  but,  dtstruclion  notwith- 
standing se<^med  to  have  selected  this  truly  unfortu- 
nate man,  as  a  victim !  for  no  sooner  did  he  heboid 
his  little  son  drtven  to  and  fro,  and  the  sport' of  the 
fbaming  billows^  than  breaking  from  the  hold  of  those  ^ 
who  attempted  by  force  to  deter  him,  in  a  fit  of  des- 
peration, he  again  threw  himtself  into  the  sea  and  was 
himself  soon  compelled  to  yield  to  the  uncdffquerabte 
impetaosity  of  the  surf,  without  being  able  either  to 
afford  protection  to  his  child  or  to  save  himself— the 
lifeless  corps  of  both  were  a  few  moments  '^ftyy^.Ajn- 
thrown  npon  the  shore,  and  produced  amelancholly 
speitacle  for  his  surviving  companion  and  child  totiil* 
hold,  and  whose  feelings  on  an  occasion  like  this  may 
be  better  imagined  than  described  !-^for  more  than 
one  hour  the  wretched  woman  remained  kneeling  and 
weeping  by  the  side  of  the  lifeless  bodies  of  her  un- 
fortunate husband  and  child,  and  could  not  be  remov  ' 
ed  but  by  force  ! 

By  great  exertion  we  were  enabled  to  save  the  life 
of  one  more  of  our  shipmates  uhich  thb  last  boat  con- 
tained— when  nearly  exhausted,  he  was  eo  fortunate 


■-/^f 


♦' 


#. 


up 
the 
vef 
rew 
we 
lery 
ined 
Hth- 
>rtu- 
ihold 
flhe 
Ihose 
fdee- 
dwas 
irable 
ler  to 
—the 


cboUy 
totV- 
19  may 
•e  than 
ing  and 
ler  un- 
remov- 

the  life 
)ai  con- 
)rtunate 


ENGLISH  BRIG  NfiPTUNE. 


HBfl  to  seize  upon  a  rope  which  was  thrown  to  him, 
by  which  be  was  drawn  on  shore — the  nambMP 
survivors  now,  amouoied  to  no  more  than  nk*  a-. 
mong  whom  was  the  cook,  who  fortunately  had^ea 
so  wise  as  to  secure  fire-works  in  bit  pocket  |^re* 
vious  to  leaving  the  brig,  whiehhadhef$li«dtODtv6 
done,  our  situations  would  have  be€B  no  better  than 
while  on  board  the  wreck,  for  as  the  day  was  now  far 
spent  and  the  night  approaching,  we  most  have  all  per<^ 
ished  with  the  cold  had  we  been  deprived  of  t&e  raeana 
of  enkindling  a  fire. 

For  wir  beftef  secarily  lor  the  night,  fue  all  retired 
to  a^icket  l^l^fw  itydadistant  fyy-n  wheie  we  landed, 
and  v^ere,  although  we  were  careful  to  keep  up  a 
large  fire,  we  suffered  very  much  from  tb^  sharp* 
ness  t>f  the  wind,  against  which  we  had  but  an  indif- 
fefent  sheiter--tbe  trees  by  which  we  were  encom- 
passed were  insufficient  to  protect  us  from  the  snow, 
which  siilt  continued  to  fall  in  immense  fiake»— while 
^it.^^k^  through  our  clothos  on  the  side  eiposed  to 
the  ore,  «d  our  backs  it  formed  a  heap  which  we 
were  obliged  to  shake  off  before  it  froze  into  ice ; 
yet  so  anxious  were  my  shipmates  to  reader  as  pom- 
fortable  as  possible  the  situation  of  the  wretched  fe- 
male and  her  helpless  sod,  whom  fate  had  deprived 
of  a  husband  and  parent,  and  now  placed  in  a  situa- 
tion to  demaod  their  protection^  that  their  own  suffer- 
ings and  deprivations  produced  nut  a  murmer — we  all 
spent  the  dark,  gloomy  and  stormy  night,  as  com* 
fertably  as  could  foe  expected  for  persons  in  our 


ttT" 


\il0':'^-' 


•?..-.'.->„- 


•       fi 


\' 


'J^' 


SHIPWRECK  OF  THE 


itclied  condition,  jet  I  think  I  inay  say  it  proved  to 
sleepless  one,  although  two  nights  had  passed 
«ii^(B  we  had  enjoyed  a  minutes  slumber. 

The  nett  morning  we  began  to  think  more  serious-' 
ly  on  oar  condition,  and  what  new  difficuHtes  would 
most  probably  attend  as.  We  had  esteemed  our- 
selves fortunate  when  we  succeeded  the  day  previous 
in  making  oor  miracalous  escape,  but  ceased  to  feel 
that  didgree  of  satisfaction,  when  we  looked  forward  to 
our  future  safety-'^we  were  to  all  appearance  cast 
upon  a  wild  and  uninhabited  coast-^we  could  per^ 
ceive  nothing  before  us  bat  a  thick  and  almost  impen<< 
etrable  forest,  and  the  groand  covered  with  eii«p  of 
more  than  two  feet  in  depth,  and  without  any  dther 
sustenance  than  a  small  keg  of  beef,  and  a  bagof  hard 
bread,  which  was  fortunately  thrown  into  the  boat  in 
her  first  trip  to  the  shore — nor  were  we  without  ap" 
prehensions  of  being  attacked  by  wild  beasts,  or  with 
meeting  with  savages,  not  less  to  be  dreaded-^for  ia 
either  pase  we  were  not  possessed  with  any  tbju^^  tf  "^ 
deserved  the  name  of  weapon,  with  which  to  defend 
ourselves-^aud  to  add  to  our  wretchedness,  we  had 
dependent  upon  us  for  support  and  protection  an  af- 
flicted and  helpless  female,  and  her  son,  a  tender 
youth  not  exceeding  eight  years  of  age!  indeed  the 
more  we  reflected  on  our  miserable  and  helpless  sit« 
uathn,  the  more  we  were  on  the  eVe  of  being  driven 
to  despair.  -  , 

As  it  was  impossible  for  us  at  that  inclement  sea* 
son,  and  with  the  ground^  covered  with  so  great  a 


^tv 


ENGLISH  BRIG  NEPTUNE. 


depth  o(»noWi  to  w  ->^aiipt  to  penetrate  the  thiek  %|||t 
in  search  of  inhabitantA  ivith  any  possibility  of  ta^^e, 
it  was  by  all  agreed  that  our  wisest  plan  would  b|ito 
€rect  with  rotten  logs  and  branches  of  trees,  ai  ^m* 
fortablejan  habitation  as  our  means  would  admit,  and 
which  might  serve  us  for  a  shelter,  until  the  snow 
should  become  so  diminished  in  depth,  either  by  rain 
or  the  rays  of  the  gun,  as  to  render  tri^relling  less 
difficult — in  doing  this  we  had  a  twofold  object  in 
view,  for  by  encamping  near  the  seashore,  and  in  fair 
view  of  the  wreck,  which  still  lay  stranded  upon  the 
rocks,  exposed  to  a  tremendous  surf,  from  her  it  was 
not  inpospible  timt  we  migh^t  obtain  some  necessary 
articles  of  food  or  clothing ;  as  it  was  the  opinion  of 
all  that  she  could  not  hold  together  much  longer,  her 
stern  having  nearly  disappeared  and  the  surf  making 
a  clear  breach  over  her-^in  this  we  were  all  soon 
sadly  disappointed,  for  in  the  course  of  the  night  of 
the  13th,  the  wind  having  shifted  from  south-west  to 
l^ovih-jeast  point,  early  in  the  morning  of  the  l5th, 
not  a  vistage  of  the  wreck  was  to  be  discovered  ;  nor 
were  we  able  afterward  to  determine  whether  she 
was  driven  from  the  rocks  by  the  strong  winds  from 
the  N.  W.  ,to  sea,  or  sunk  in  deep  water  in  the  im- 
mediate vicinity  of  the  reef  on  which  she  had  founder- 
ed. 

The  dismal  apprehensions  we  were  under,  in  con- 
sequence of  having  our  fondest  hopes  thus  suddenly 
and  unexpectedly  blasted,  can  be  better  imagined  than 
described— we  foaod  ourselves  at  mid-winter  on  a 


■!(] 


'A 


'■  11 


*mgg^,.,-yt:m-^< 


SHIPWRECK  OF  THE 


.^A. 


wM,  and  apparently  uninhabited  part  of  the  coas^ 
fllligiied,  sickly,  and  almost  destitute  of  food  and 
cNwthing-^nothing  remained  but  to  commit  ourselves 
to  kind  providence,  and  make  the  best  of  our  situa- 
tioD. .  On  the  16th  and  17th,  we  were  employed  in 
scraping  away  the  snow  and  in  building  a  sort  of  hut, 
tinder  a  cli£f  adjoining  the  sea-side,  to  secure  us  from 
the  inclemency  of  the  weather — here  we  remained 
four  days,  in  as  comfortable  a  situation  as  could  be 
•xpected,  as  we  did  not  want  for  fuel,  the  piercing 
keen  air  was  ia  a  great  measure  expelled  from  our 
hut,  by  the  means  of  a  |^eat6re  which  we  kept  con- 
stantly burning  n^ht  and  day — as  our  only  food  was 
salt  beef  and  hard  bread,  we  contrived  to  freshen  the 
former  by  removing  to  our  hut  a  hollow  8tun»p,  closed 
at  one  end  and  about  four  feel  in  length,  and  by  fil- 
ling it  with  snow  and  ice,  which  was  dissolved  by 
means  of  hot  stones  obtained  from  the  shore,  and  into 
which  after  the  ice  had  become  so  dissolved,  we  de* 
posited  our  beef,  cut  into,  small  slices,  which^WAr^ 
afterward  broiled  on  the  coals.  ^^ 

The  situation  of  our  unfortunate  female  compan* 
Ion,  and  her  little  son,  was  rendered  as  comfortable 
as  our  means  would  admit  of«  nor  ought  I  to  omit 
mentioning,  that  they  both  exhibited  that  degree  of 
fortitude,' and  resignation,  amid  their  afflictions,  that 
I  should  have  supposed  hardly  possible  had  I  not  beea 
an  eye  witness  thereto — while  we  were  employed 
either  in  repairing  or  improving  our  hut  or  in  devising 
means  to  reader  oui  food  more  palatable,  their  time 


i. 


■P-     «,,>>*•  w-fw  ,...'. 


ENGLISH  BRIO  NEPTUNE>: 


IT 


wai  almost  wholly  occupied  in  oolemQ  de?otiMit#>iA 
prayer  to  the  Alinighty«  supplicating  hit  merCj  and 
kind  interposition  in  our  favour !  and  1  am  nttl >noi^ 
ashamed  to  say  to  the  world,  that  as  regards  tba  well- 
Ikre  of  my  own  immortal  soul,  the  prayers  of  the 
pious  mother,  and  her  little  Son  (particularly  the 
latter,  but  eight  years  of  age)  weieproductiTeofthe 
most  happy  eflfects— -it  sent  arrows  of  conflction  t» 
my  soul,  and  caused  me  to  cry  aloud  *Xord  have 
iperey  on  me,  the  chiefest  of  8inQewl"-»ye8,  reader, 
ef  whatever  peisuasioo  yoa  may  l>e,  permit  me  to  de- 
clare to  you,  that  that  ivpartalst  happy  moment,  will 
never  be  forgdtten  by  me,  when  the  Almighty  in  his 
infinite  goodness,  was  pleased  to  speak  peace  (o  my 
ioul !  when  I  met  with  conviction  and  conversion  in 
the  wild  wilderness^  through  the  instrumentality  of  a 
#hiid !— <and  who,  permit  me  to  ask,  can  for  a  mo- 
ment doubt  the  goodness,  the  omnipresence  of  the 
Almighty  ?  to  Him  we  have  the  promise  that  we  9hall 
re  free  eicess,  whatever  may  be  our  condition,  or 
in  whatever  situation  fate  may  have  placed  us,  if  we 
come  to  Him  with  a  contrite  and  penitent  heart  t 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  20th,  discovering  thai 
the  SBOW  had  become  sufficiently  encrusted  to  bear 
us,  it  was  by  us  resolved  that  three  of  our  number 
should  set  out  on  a  tour  of  discovery,  leaving  one  to 
remain  with  Mrs.  Mason  and  her  sod,  until  our  re- 
turn, which  we  promised  should  be  in  four  days, 
should  we  be  so  fortunate  as  to  make  or  should  v*e 
not  ma^e  any  discovery  of  inhabitants — ^providing  foe 


■im 


m^:' 


( 


\ 


SHIPWRECK  OF  THE 


oiiftielyes  a  safficient  qaantity  of  the  food  (o  which  we 
hacf  l^en  confioed  for  severnl  days,  about  10  A.  M. 
we  ^ok  an  afi'ectionate  leave  of  those  we  left  behind 
(haTittg  requested  their  prayers  in  our  absence)  we 
set  fourth  with  heavy  hearts,  taking  a  course  wost- 
ward,  as  nearly  as  we  could  judge  by  the  points  of 
the  compass.  We  found  our  course  frequently  im- 
peded in  the  first  day*s  travel,  by  thick  underwood, 
and  almost  impenetrable  swamps ;  to  avoid  which,  in 
some  instances  we  were  compelled  to  take  circuitous 
routs  of  some  miles.  Nearly  an  hour  before  sunset, 
we  became  so  exhausted  m  to  compel  us  to  seek  a  shel- 
ter for  the  night,  beneath  a  shelving  rock,  where, 
with  a  comfortable  fire,  we  were  enahied  to  repose 
until  morning.  -f 

We  early  arose,  and  afier  partaking  of  our  humble 
repast,  we  again  put  forward,  still  bending  our  coorse 
to  the  west,  but  without  meeting  with  any  thing  to  en- 
courage us  that  we  should  be  so  fortunate  as  to  dis- 
cover the  object  of  our  pursuit.  We  this  day  ««  ,ig^  ,  . 
the  former,  met  with  many  obstacles  in  our  journey 
almost  of  too  difficult  a  nnture  to  be  surmounted  by 
«s,  in  our  weak  and  debilitated  state— sometimes  high 
and  impassable  ledges,  would  present  themselves  in 
our  course,  and  then  a  wide  extending  miry  marsh, 
thickly  covered  with  small  brush,  and  creeping  bri- 
ars, and  through  which  it  is  not  improbable  that  no 
human  being  ever  attempted  to  pass.  «    ! 

Having  about  noon  arrived  in  an  exhausted  state,  on 
he  summit  of  a  very  high  hill,  and  beholding  noth-' 


lich  we 

A.  M. 

behind 

ce)  we 

le  w9t- 

oints  of 

ntly  im- 

rwood, 

hich,  in 

rcuitous 

sanset, 

t  a  shel- 

where, 

» repoie 

humble 
r  coone 
og  to  en> 
\  to  dis* 


ay 
joiiraey 
iDted  by 
DCS  high 
leives  in 
'  marsh, 
ing  bri- 
that  no 

itate,  on 
ignoth*' 


ENGLISH  BRIG  NEPTUNE. 


Id 


\ 


jitk'.- 


iqg  around  us  on  either  side  but  a  boundless  foreit,jtt 
far  as  the  eye  siglit  could  extend*  we  came  to  a  ^iMi 
and  held  a  consultation  among  ourselves  whetlMHT  it 
would  not  be  more  prudent  for  us  to  retuni»  11^  to 
attempt  to  proceed  any  further  in  the  course  w#  had 
been  travelling,  and  without  the  most  distant  provpect 
of  meeting  with  deliverance ;  as  in  our  whole  jour* 
ney,  we  had  not  met  with  any  thing  that  coold  satisfy 
us,  that  the  country  Was  inhabited  by  human  beings ; 
but  not  improbably  abounded  with  wild  animals^  pe- 
culiar to  a  cold  climate ;  as  ifej^teral  times  saw  at 
a  distance  what,  {Toml^S^^tftfiiikm^  «re  have  since  re- 
ceived, we  8up|iQ«etnf^t  h^e  been  bears,  moosef 
and  deen  Th^re  was  indeed  another  very  great  rea- 
son why  We  should  return)  fof  by  penetrating  further 
into  the  country,  we  possibly  might  meet  with  in^u- 

.  perable  difficulties,  in  our  attempts  to  find  our  way 
back  again  to  what  we  now  called  our  home-~it  was 
tber<)fore  concluded  by  all  that  it  was  most  prudent  to 

^^j^race  our  steps,  while  our  (racks  still  visible  on  the 
surface  of  the  snow,  would  serve  us  for  a  guide. 
^  Without  meeting  with  any  thing  remarkable,  or 
worthy  of  notice,  we  succeeded  in  reaching  the  hut 
late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  S3d,  and  found  our  com- 
panions in  the  same  condition  as  when  we  left  them^ 
I— We  had  no  occasion  to  inform  them  of  our  ill  suc- 
cess, as  regarded  the  flattering  hopes  that  we  had  en- 
tertained of  meeting  with  inhabitants,  they  too  plain- 
ly saw  it  depicted  in  our  countenances,  and  for  the 
moment,  caused  in  all  a  very  great  depression  of 


I 


(*  V 


I      ^^     I 


W   /         SHIPWRECK  OP  THfi 

tflpt^and  how  could  it  be  otbOTwise  ?— we  had  \ 
thiiigbt  ourselves  peculiarly  fortunate  in  reaching  the 
vhore,  but  we  began  now  to  think  ourselves  less  so, 
than  those  of  our  shipmates  who  had  found  a  watery 
graTe,alid  whose  troubles  were  at  an  end  ! — our  pros* 
|rects  were  indeed  gloomy  beyond  description  !--we 
had  food  suflkient  but  for  a  few  days  longer,  and 
without  arms  and  unmunition  with  which  we  could 
procure  subsistence— our  «nly  cloathing  was  that 
which  we  wore  on  our  backs,  and  at  that  inclement 
season  of  the  year,  the  ground  being  covered  with 
snow,  of  more  than  twenty  iB^es  in  depth,  preveli* 
ted  our  obtaining  any  thing  calculi^ffd  to  SQltain  als  $ 
nor  did  the  shore  afford  shell-fish  of  atiiy  kind  that  we 
could  discover — so  that  we  couM  not  but  view  our- 
selves the  most  wretched  and  miserable  of  all  human 
being« !  in  a  state  of  wretchedness  from  which  death 
alone  could  deliver  us ! 

But  in  this  we  were  mistaken— there  was  one, 
blessed  be  God,  that  was  able  and  willing  to  de(ivejSi>i<....yi,^^y 
«s  in  his  own  good  time — tiuly  may  it  be  said)  that— 
"      **God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way— 
^'"''     His  wonders  to  perform ;"  -W\ 

on  an  uninhabited  coast,  in  the  midst  of  a  wild  wil- 
derness, and  amid  all  our  a£9ictioD8  anddeprivations^f  ' 
the  Almighty  in  his  tender  mercy  was  pleased  to  visit 
us  in  a  manner  we  little  expected — and  there  wrought 
•  good  work  for  us,whicb  no  man  without  his  aid  could 
have  accompli8hed — even  that  of  the  conversion  of 
««r  precious  souls !— yes,  through  the  instrumental- 


.;f 


!>■ 


*     , 


•      . 


ENOLieU  BRIG  NEPTUNE. 


n 


ity  of  a  UAt  y«i  of  infant  yean,  we  were  broQ|lt 
to  •«•  how  uiipreptired  we  were  to  meet  deatb—^ 
which  w«  could  not  but  believe  fast  approaching  iti 
it!  moit  horrid  fornii— it  was  a  subject  wbicK  prob- 
ably had  nover  proviously  occupied  our  mindi,  for  a 
roomant— for  myitlft  I  can  say,  that  until  within  a 
few  dayi,  tb«  nicciiity  of  a  preparation  of  my  apnl 
for  etirnity,  wai  a  aubjeot  so  foreign  from  my  mind, 
that  I  bad  icarcaly  taken  pains  to  acquaint  myself 
with  tht  mtaning  of  the  word  **immortality*'— rnor  do 
1  think  that  ny  ihipmates,  wbo  had  been  my  com- 
W0\gU  in  nlitryi  M  been  lest  careless,  in  this  re- 
speclMMili  d^  kWHJfH  rejoice,  that  I  ha?e  it  in  my 
powor  to  say,  that  they  too  became  so  aensibly  aflfect- 
ed,  and  thtir  failings  so  powerfully  wrought  upon, 
by  the  praytri  and  pious  eihortations  of  the  youth, 
that  they  required  little  urging  to  unite  with  myself 
and  tha  afflicted  mother,  and  son,  in  our  supplications 

•Jff  %'^y  ^""^^  ^^'  ^^^^  Heaven  alone  that  we  could 
tiptR  rtlltf— and  such  was  now  the  state  of  our 
minds,  that  it  bicama  n  pleasing  devotion  for  us  al- 
most avary  hour  to  kneel  down,  and  to  pour  out  our 
•ouli  to  Ood— and  when  not  thus  engaged,  in  listentiig 
to  tha  pious  adnonitions  of  the  dear  youth,  who,  lijke 
an  angel  conmliiioned  from  on  higlwf6  administar 
paaca  and  comfort  to  our  souls,  ceaser  not  to  exhort 
us  to  put  onr  trait  in  one,  who  was  both  able  and 
willing  to  fafa  all  who  would  come  to  bim>  humbly 
and  penitent,  eonfeiiing  their  sins. 

Nor  ought  we  te  doubt  a  moment  that  oar  prayers 

D 


*t' 


Sr'^:4 


22 


SHIPWRECK  OF  THE 


i-f 


|Mre  beard  and  aniwered— for  when  on  the  wery 
jpriDk  of  despair,  doomed,  as  we  could  not  but  sup- 
fK>ae  oarself es,  to  end  our  da^fs  and  to  remain  undis- 
covered and  unburied  in  a  wild  and  unfrequented 
wilderness^i-crowded  and  immured  in  a  wretched  hut, 
scarcely  sufficient  to  shelter  us  from  the  piercing  coldi 
the  whole  inside  of  which  became  lined  with  a  crust  oi 
ice—- andalthoughooanallowanceofone  biscuit  and 
two  or  three  ouncea  of  salt  beef  each,  per  day,  yet 
ef  this  there  was  not  a  sufficient  stock  to  sustain  us 
twenty  days  !«Hrach,  indeed,  was  our  wretched  cont 
dition,  and  such  our  awful  ferbodings,  when  tb«|| 
was  eiperienced  by  all  a  suddejIiiJMinetpiiied'thin^ 
sition  in  our  minds,  from  the  most  gloomy  and  des- 
ponding reflections,  to  that  of  the  most  cheering  sei 
satipns;  to  which  nothing  can  bear  a  comparison,  m 
a  mind  agonized  in  sleep  by  frightful  apprehensions 
approaching  danger,  and  suddenly  awaking  and  find- 
ing it  but  imaginary— a  dream !  All  complaints  and 
murmers  from  this  moment  ceased— as  not  a  libubT 
remained  on  the  minds  of  any  one  of  us,  but  that  the 
Almighty  would  deliver  us,  and  that  the  hour  of  our. 
deliverance  was  not  far  distant. 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  the  2dth  (having  previ*- 
•usly  concluded  it  best  among  ourselves,  that  another 
tour  of  discovery  should  be  mi^de)  three  of  us,  who 
were  considered  in  the  be^t  condition,  set  out  for  the 
purpose.  We  concluded  to  bend  our  course  as  be- 
fore, westward — and  as  it  was  natural  to  suppose  that 
Ihere  might  be  a  less  depth  of  snow  near  the  s«a  co9St» 


■*!  -v: 


-■^         ■, -i:,^^::^-. 


V.' 


ENGLISH  BRIG  NEPTUNE. 


23 


'4 

1 

v"  K.. 


we  thought  it  most  ndvi«Rble  to  foUovr  that,  ai  ncarai 
the  8urf  would  admit  of— in  doing  this  we  were  en* 
couraged  with  a  hope,  tbut  we  might  pessibl)^  fall  in 
with  the  wreck  of  eur  own,  or  some  other  resvelt^ 
from  which  something  that  might  serve  for  food,  or 
clo>thing,  might  be  obtained  ;.  which,  if  in  the  most 
perishable  state,  would  have  beeirvery  acceptable  to- 
ns, in  our  then  destitute  conditioD.  Our  hopes  in 
•  this  respect  were  not  however  realised,  and  we  had 
travelled  all  the  day  of  the  291b,  and  a  part  of  the 
30th,  without  meeting  with  a  single  object,  or  wit- 
peisinga  change  of  scene  to  encourage  u§.  About 
00M|«*JiaviDg  come  to  a^  halt,  on  an  eminence,  and 
while  in  the  act  of  sharing  to  each  his  allowance  for 
the  day,  the  rep&rt  of  a  gun,  to  our  inexpressible 
joy,  was  heard,  and  so  distinctly,  as  to  render  it  cer- 
tain that  it  could  not  have  beea  discharged  at  a  very 
great  distance  from  us. 

The  report  appearing  to  have  proceeded  from  a  di- 
-rection  south  west,  we  immediately  started  in  that 
direction,  uniting  our  voices  and  raising  a  leud  hallooi 
every  now  and  then,  as  we  proceeded,  which  was 
finally  answered  by  a  loud  shrill  screach,  or  what  i» 
more  properly' termed,  an  Indian  yell  I— regardless 
from  whom  or  what  it  might  proceed,  whether  friend 
or  foe,  we  redoubled  our  pace,  and  was  soon^  brought 
in  view  ot  one  of  the  tawney  sons  of  the  IbreM,  clad 
from  head  to  foot  in  a  garment  of  fur,  and  armed  witb 
a  musket— we  now  came  to  a  halt,  and  for  a  moment 
paused — fearful  that  by  too  sudden  an  advance,  the 


2i 


SHIPWRECK  OF  THE 


I 


India»  (who  itood  m  motionleii  m  m  ilntat ,  with  his 
eyes  filed  steudfastly  upon  us)  might  become  Hlarmed, 
and  beilily  fiy  from  our  presence,  and  thereby  de- 
prife  us  of  the  much  desired  interview.  Recollect- 
ing at  the  moment,  of  ha? ing  heard  that  among  some 
of  the  SaTaget  of  North- America,  a  green  bough  waa 
an  emblem  of  peace,  and  of  t  pacific  disposition,  I 
seized  a  branch  of  pioe,  and  with  it  advancing  a  few 
paces  tt-bead  of  my  two  companioui,  exclaimed  *^fear 
not,  we  are  your  friends,"  whicbf  to  our  great  joy, 
appeared  to  be  well  uadtrstoodby  onr  new  discover- 
ed friend  and  benefactor  (as  he  afterward  proved 
himself)  who  instantly  replied  in  very  br6lri»iR|- 
lish,  **you  no  fear,'me  friend  T'— on  which,  without 
further  parley,  we  fearlessly  approached.each  other, 
when  presenting  our  hands,  they  were  good  natured- 
ly  grasped  and  shook  by  the  savage,  as  a  token  of 
friendship. 

Having  seated  ourselves  upon  a  dry  log,  we  gave 
him  a  brief  account  of  ouc  shipwreck,  and  the  manner- 
in  which  we  had  been  enabled  to  subsist  since  that 
unfortunate  event— to  which  he  listened  with  much 
apparent  attention,  we  comn^unicating  by  signs  what 
he  was  unable  to  understand  by  words.  In  turn^  he 
gave  ui  as  intelligent  account  of  him^elff  as  his  im- 
perfect .knowledge  of  the  language  would  adip't  )f<»« 
he  represented  himself  to  b?  one  of  the  fiiqrKMir 
tribe,  and  pointing  to  the  north,  observed  ^.m  ae 
came  from  a  country  as  far  that  way,  at  the  great  isl- 
and (Newfoundland)  was  that  way,"  pointing  wesh-^ 


*■ 


ENGLISH  BRIG  NEPTUNi:. 


f& 


^at  for  teveral  ivinteri  he  had  uiide  these  hii  <}uar» 
ten,  for  the  purpote  of  hunticfl;  the  bei^r  and  decr^ 
for  their  ikins ;  which  in  the  HprinK,  he  conveved 
and  diiposedofio  a  company  « ''  fur  truuei'',  wko  re' 
«ided  in  a  white  tettlement  eight  or  nine  days  trave 
eonthweiit  (Belhsle)~^thnt  he  had  built  him  a  cono' 
fbriahle  Cabin,  or  wigwam,  in  which  he  reposed  nights, 
and  V  hie  < I  iie  represented  as  sitnited  but  a  few  hours 
ti  .  Ji  <»nre  from  where  we  then  were  ;  that  his 
7nly  ^omi'anion  whs  a  faithful  dog,  and  that  his  hut 
.Vi.^  iifficiently  spacinuM  to  hold  us  all^tbat  he  had 
yrovivion  to  plenty,  hii  dog  and  gun  never  failing  to 
li«pp  him  tiipplied  with  frechlneat  in abundmce,  and 
tsoocloded  by  aiSonti|^  uh  that  we  were  welcome  to 
mitke  this  our  home,  until  we  could  provide  our* 
selves  with  another  and  better. 

Having  informed  him  of  the  i>itnntion  of  our  unfor- 
tunate companions,  wbcm  we  had  left  behind,  he 
readily  agreed  to  accompany  n»  to  where  they  were, 
•nd  to  assist  <ra  in  their  refnuVHl,  but  stated  that  it 
would  be  first  necessary  for  him  to  return  to  bis  cabiUf 
(o  provide  himself  with  some  few  necessuties,  annlo 
which  we  willingly  accepted  of  his  invitation  to  uc- 
company  him— we  fiound  it  hs  he  had  repret-eoteit,  i' 
comfortable  dwelling  in  every  reMpect,  and  compara- 
tively a  palace  to  dur  own  miserable  shelter — we 
were  presented  with  a  well  cured  ham  of  vt^nxon  f  of 
w^.ich  he  had  «t^vcrHl)  and  of  which,  at*  the  reader 
may  ftuppuiie,  wem><de  a  delicioiiifi  meid— nor  did  we 
ibrget  to  return  thanks  to  God,  fur  ibis    remurkabla 


r«*- 


\-r 


If 


i"" 


0- 


Hi  * 


iM 


96 


SHrPWRECK  OF  THE 


inanifestatioD  cf  his  k«nd  and  tender  mercy,  in  send- 
ing thajt  relief  which  we  had  so  fervently  prayed  for. 

Hafing  sufficiently  satisfied  our  appetites,  we  set 
•at  on  our  return,  to  bear  the  joyful  tidings  of  our 
good  fortune  to  our  friends,  accompanied  by  our 
kind  benefactor,  whom  we  found  veiy  serviceat>le  as 
n  guide,  as  well  as  for  the  important  information  that 
he  was  enabled  to  impart  to  us,  as  regarded  the  best 
mode  of  travelling.  With  revived  spirits,  we  reach- 
ed the  spot  of  our  destination  about  noon  of  February 
the  second,  and  communicated  to  our  friends  the  par- 
ticulars of  our  adventures,and  the  good  success  which 
had  attended  us — which  was  received  with  a  tran-«f' 
sport  ofjoy— the  grotesque  appearance  of  our  Indian 
friend,  garbed  as  he  was,  in  skins,  on  his  firc^t  intro- 
duction, produced  rather  an  unfavourable  impression 
en  the  minds  of  our  female  companion  and  her  little 
son,  but  a  moments  interview,  was  sufficient  to  re- 
move all  apprehensions  as  regarded  their  personal 
safety  ;  and  preparations  were  not  delayed  for  an  im-  / 
mediate  remove  from  a  place  where  we  had  suffered 
too  much,  for  which  to  feel  any  degree  of  attachment* 

Our  greatest  fears  now  were  that  Mrs.  Mason,  and 
ker  son,  unaccustomed  to  hardship,  would  not  be  a- 
ble  to  perform  the  journey — but  in  this  we  were  very 
Buch  encouraged  by  our  Indian  friend,  who  engaged 
to  go  forward,  and  at  the  distance  of  every  mile  to 
build  6res — having  supplied  each  with  such  garments 
•four  own  as  we  could  spare,  we  set  out  about  the 
middle  of  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  our  Indian ' 


mfim' 


■''i;>rTi.«!^-._'P_..ci ;  >  •■  ■<jr. 


''^f 


ENGLISH  BRIG  NEPTUNE. 


0 


gaide'proceediog  us  at  the  distance  of  about  one  milt 
ahead,  and  failed  not  in  his  promise  in  preparing  for 
us  a  good  tire  at  the  distances  mentioned ;  which 
was  found  not  very  uncomfortable,  particularly  as  re>< 
garded  our  female  companion  and  her  son,  who  al* 
though  the  air  was  piercing,  uttered  not  a  complaint 
— ah,  true  it  is,  that  the  Almighty  will  '^temper  the 
storm  to  the  shorn  lamb  !'* 

The  knowledge  which  our  guide  fortunately  pos- 
sesed  of  the  shortest  and  best  route,  enabled  us  with- 
out being  much  fatigued,  to  reach  the  place  of  our 
^stination  early  in  the  evening  of  the  3d — so  happi- 
ly (iisappointed  were  my  companions,  (to  whom  1  had 
attempted  to  give  a  feint  description  of  the  habitation 
of  our  Indian  friend)  to  find  it  so  much  more  conven- 
ient and  comfortable  than  what  they  had  anticipated,, 
as  to  cause  them  almost  to  conclude  that  their  troubles 
were  at  an  end,  and  their  deliverance  complete. — 
?  The  wigwam  was  of  simple  construction — three  or 
^<  foi^  poles,  of  ten  or  twelve  feet  in  length,  were 
s^ck  in  a  circle  with  their  tops  gathered  to  a  pointy 
»and  secured  by  a  few  strips  of  green  hide — the  whole 
was  covered  with  skins,  of  which  there  was  a  suffi- 
cient number  to  exclude  effectually  the  cold,  at  the 
top  was  an  aperture  to  let  out  the  smoke,  the  fires 
being  always  built  in  the  centre — near  the  aperture 
were  hung  hams  of  venson  to  smoke  for  summer's  use 
—  the  hut  was  of  sufficient  size  to  shelter  eight  or 
nine  persons,  very  comfortably,  the  internal  part  of 
which  was  well  lined  with  fur  skins,  and  which  a!so 
afforded  comfonable  bedding. 


\V^ 


'"^A\. 


:s>^\JM. 


1)1  •■ip"- 


'!    - 


m 


SHIPWRECK  OF  THE 


'  We  were  treated  kindly  by  our  Indian  friend  an4K 
benefactor,  who  spared  no  pains  in  rendering  our  sit* 
Nation  (daring  our  two  days  residence  at  his  hut)  as 
comfortable  as  possible — the  greatest  inconvenience 
that  attended  us,  was  the  difficulty  of  conversing  witb 
him  with  that  fhciHty  that  we  could  have  wished  ;  he 
possessing  no  greater  knowledge  of  the  englisb  lang- 
uage, than  what  he  had  obtained  in  his  intercourse 
with  the  fur  traders  and  fishermen — in  his  person, 
there  was  nothing  very  diagreeable  or  prepossesiog— - 
he  was  of  small  statue,  inclined  to  corpulency,  and  of 
a  tawny  complexion — his  face  very  broad,  with  a 
large  mouth,  and  with  black  hair  and  eyes.  Hm  only 
companion  was  a  faithful  dog  of  the  Newfoundland 
breed,  and  to  whom  he  appeared  OfMich  attached — he 
possessed  a  good  rifle,  and  appeared  well  supplied 
with  ammunition — his  opinions  of  the  immortality  of 
the  soul,  or  of  the  existence  of  a  Supreme  Being,  ap> 
peared  very  restricted,  yet  when  we  explained  to 
him  the  object  of  our  religious  devotions,  he  ap^ar-^ 
ed  much  pleased,  and  manifested  a  disposition  to  ta&e 
a  part.  For  the  welfare  o(  the  unfortunate  mother 
and  her  little  son,  be  manifested  an  interest,  that  would 
have  done  honom  to  one  of  more  civilized  origin — 
having  humanly  presented  each  with  a  pair  of  nftocca- 
sons,  and  a  bhrnket  of  deer  skin,  the  better  to  protect 
them  from  the  cold. 

Although  authors  in  most  inst'ances  may  be  correct, 
in  their  opinions  of  the  Indians  of  North  America^ 
that  they  are  of  a  cruel,  revengeful,  iaexerable  diiSi- 


|r 


*' 


\% 


t.  *(*%v.^     I^%k^ 


--*-*•». 


..--.,  #^  %  ^'*  :*:'' 


/^''*i«v^!>*v...'- 


^ymt 


ENGLISH  BRIG  NEPTUNE. 


at 


position,  that  they  will  watch  whole  days  unmindfal 
of  the  call*  of  nature,  and  make  their  way  through 
pathless,  and  almost  unbounded  woods,  subsisting 
only  on  the  scanty  produce  of  them,  to  pursue  and  re- 
Tenge  themselves  of  an  enemy — that  they  hear  u»* 
moved  the  piercing  cries  of  such  as  fall  into  their 
hands,  and  receive  a  diabolical  pleasure  from  the  tor» 
tures  they  inflict  on  their  prisoners — yet,  by  what  I 
have  m>  self  experienced,  and  been  an  eyewitness 
to,  I  well  know  that  there  are  exceptiom,  that  there 
are  some  of  a  nMich  lest  unfeeling  Savage  dipositioa 
-«who  are  social  and  humane  to>  those  whom  they 
coiMtdar.ai  their  friends  and  ready  to  partake  with 
(hem  of  the  last  morsel,  or  to  risk  theirlives  m  their 
behalf— such  an  one  indeed  proved  our  friend  and 
heBefttctor--onor  could  we  bat  view  it,  at  an  iostane* 
af  the  interposition  of  kind  providence,  in  our  favour, 
in  delivering  ut  into  the  bands  of  one,  so  generous 
I  and  benevolent — whose  ktndoess  we  experienced  ia 
f  (|yery  instance; — how  different  would  have  been  our 
aitiiations  had  we  met  with  one,  who,  more  in  the 
character  of  a  savage,  might  not  only  have  withheld 
that  aid  which  we  so  mtich  stood  in  need  of,  but  migh 
have  robbed  us  of  the  few  articles  of  cloathing  which 
we  had  left,  and  then  left  us  to  perish.      ■''•■  *-  ?^  '*s 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  6th  (having  become 
much  recruited,  and  made  every  necessary  prepara- 
tion for  the  journey)  we  left  the  peaceful  asylum  of 
our  Indian  friend — ^who.  for  a  promised  reward,  had 
consented  to  accompany  us  to  Bellisle,  which  he  had 


I  \ 


-I 

i 


3D 


SHIPWRECK  OP  THE 


told  tit  (hat  fvith  (nodprate  travelling,  we  mii^ht  reacli 
in  ei|;ht  or  nine  days.  The  arrangements  made  for 
thn  journey,  were,  our  Indian  guide  and  one  of  our 
peopte  were  to  lead  the  way,  at  the  distance  of 
ahotn  one  mfile— 'carrying  with  them  »uch  articles 
at  «v«re  neicessary  to  enable  tfaem  to  pitch  a  tent  at 
the  close  of  each  day,  for  our  accommodation  at  nifbt 
—fires  were  likewise  to  be  enkindled  by  them  at  very 
•bort  distances— -the  remainder  of  us  were  to  follow 
in  a  body,  and  to  afford  ail  the  assist'ince  #e  possibly 
oould  to  oor  female  companion  and  her  son  ;  foi  th« 
better  accomodation  of  whom,  We  had  constrarted  • 
kind  of  sled,  on  which  they  were  to  be  drawit  Where 
the  woods  an  I  precipices  di  not  prevent.  In  thi» 
manner  we  traversed  a  country,  the  very  appearaiice 
of  which,  was  sufficient  to  satisfy  us  that  we  could, 
never,  at  thbt  season  of  the  year,  have  passed  without 
the  assistance  of  oor  guide-— obstacles  would  have 
presented  that  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  us  ^' 
to  surmount,  and  we  must  have  perished  withJ^uiu^ 
er  or  fatigue,  in  making  the  attempt.  ,  ,^>.  a?.  _ 
Through  the  mercy  of  God.  (meeting  with  a  fa^- 
vourable  conveyance  fiom  the  main  |  we  were  eDabled 
to  reach  Bellisle,  in  the  afternoon  of  the  Idth,  alive» 
although  nearly  overcome  with  fatigue ;  which,  so 
far  from  being  unexpected,  the  reader  will  no  doubt 
be  surprized  that  we  were  so  long  able  to  support 
ourselves,  under  such  severe  trials,  as  we  had  ex- 
perienced for  the  three  weeks  preceding.  We  found 
at  Bellisle  but  a  very  few  white  inhabitants,  and  but 
6wo  small  fishing  schooners,  one  bound  to  St.  Johns^ 


i"lf 


'vw«iif 


i^ht  reach 
made  for 
me  of  our 
istance  oT 
;h  articles 

a  tent  »t 
[>n  at  Dif  ht 
»in  at  very 

tafoUo«r 
e  poBfiiblj 
i;  foi  th* 
istractedft 
two  Where 
Id  tht» 
ppearance 
t  we  could, 
ed  without 
nold  hare 
fble  ibr  us 
ivithhut 

with  a  fa^ 
re  enabled 
dth,  irfive» 
which,  so 
il  DO  doubt 
to  support 
e  had  ex- 
We  fouDd 
8,  and  but 
St.  Johns, 


H 


< 


ENGLISH  BRIG  NEPTCNE. 


SI 


•ndthe  other  to  Hal  if  ix-'-from  the  master  of  one  t 
obtained  on  credit  half  a  dozen  jackniveg.  and  as  much 
powder,  as  probably  might  be  purchased  for  four 
dollars,  which  I  pf  evented  o<:r  Indian  guide  and  friend^ 
as  a  reward  for  his  kind  services ;  and  to  whom  I 
feel  that  I  yet  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude,  which  1  fear 
it  will  never  be  in  my  power  to  repay  in  the  manner 
I  ought —  I  can  never  reflect  without  the  most  grate* 
ful  sensibility,  on  the  kind  offices  of  this  humble  son 
of  the  forest.  -  ^' 

As  Bellisle  could  afford  us  but  a  very  few  of  the 
necessaries,  which  our  enfet  bled  situations  then  re- 
(|uired  (the  inhabitants  having  mostly  left  it,  as  they 
were  in  the  habit  of  doing,  at  the  commencement  of 
winter)  we  concluded  it  best  to  improve  the  only  op* 
portunity  which  presented,  cr  probably  would  pre- 
sent, for  some  weeks,  to  leave  the  place — accordingly 
myself  and  surviving  shipmates  took  pa$^agp  for  Hali- 
fax, and  Mrs  Mason  and  s«n,  were  received  on  board 
the  schooner  bound  to  St.  Johns  (Newfoundland) 
.42vith  t|ie  intention  of  proceeding  from  thence  to  Que* 
bee,  where  she  had  lela  ives  living.  Of  this  unfort- 
unate lady  and  pious  litHe  son,  we  took  leave  with 
mutual  regret — they  having  been  for  more  than  three 
weekfl  our  companions  in  misery,  hf  well  as  for  their 
religious  counsel,  so  infinitely  important  as  regarded 
•ur  spiritual  welfare,  had  bound  us  in  ti>e  tenderest 
ties  of  friendship— but  we  parted  with  the  happy  re* 
flecton  that  our  mifteries  were  at  an  end,  and  on  whick, 
account,  no  further  anxiety  remain "td  as  regarded  our 
personal  t^elfare. 


1'^ 


)> 


4#:;»'\^''i 


iS^iiMM. 


I'm  ' 

*■  "^   / 

.y 


d2 


BHIP  WRECK  or  THE 


%% 


^h 


i      -a-  ■ 


H  i 


After  a  fomewhat  boisterous  passage,  I  in  safety 
reached  Halifax,  where  I  had  the  good  fortune  the 
tAtne  day  to  obtain  a  pa«i8age  direct  to  New- York, leav^ 
ing  the  remainder  of  my  shipmates  in  Halifax,  await- 
ing a  passage  to  Euiope  ;  I  landed  at  New- York  in  the 
iffternoon  of  the  28th,  where,  aAer  much  enquiry,  I 
found  that  my  mother  was  still  living,  and  was  then  re- 
4i'(ling  in  the  country,  about  five  miles  from  the  city 
—  thither  I  repaired  without  del/ty,  and  feel  thankful 
to  God,  for  his  kind  mercy  in  restoring  me  (although 
pennyless)  to  the  arms  of  a  kind  and  affectionate  moth- 
er. In  my  three  years  absence  from  the  land  of  my 
nativity,  and  from  the  presence  of  an  affectionate 
parent,  the  Ocean  has  bf  en  principally  my  home  ;  in 
which  time  I  have  been  made  the  subject  of,  and  ex- 
perienced many  of  the  disasters  peculiar  to  those  wh« 
niivigate  the  deep— once  1  have  been  brought  near 
the  grave  by  pestilential  disease — nnre  miraculously 
preserved  from  drowning;  twice  from  necessit\  put  ob 
an  allowance  barely  sntlicient  to  support  nature — and, 
finally,  shipwrecked  in  mid  winter  upon  (to  o;^)  a^  ..^ 
Unknown  ait()  unfrequented  coast,  with  the  loss  (my 
life  excepted)  of  every  thing  but  tlie  cloathuig  upoB 
my  back.— But,  ^dibongh  it  hiis  been  my  hard  fortune, 
to  be  thus  deprived  in  an  unexpected  manner  of  the 
fruits  of  many  months  hard  toil,  of  earnincs  which  it 
was  m>  ardent  desire  and  intention  to  apply  to  the 
relief  and  support  of  an  aged  and  uifi  m  widowed 
mother — yet,  I  feel  that  I  have  thereby  obtained  • 
IMessing,  which  1  ought  and  do  conceive  of  mtioitel/ 


,r«"* 


\ 


'^   fi 


ENGLISH  BRIG  NEPTUNE. 


39 


more  value — if  it  has,  as  1  trust  it  has,  been  produc< 
tive  (through  the  instrumentality  of  a  pioui  female) 
of  the  conversion  of  my  precious  soul  (for  ^*Go<l 
moves  in  a  mysterious  way— His  wonders  to  per- 
form l")  I  ought,  and  do  view  it  a»  one  of  the  most 
fortunate  circumstances  of  my  life — and  feel  that  I 
can  say  with  the  Psalmist,  '4  know,  O  Lord,  that 
thy  judgements  are'  right,  and  that  thou,  in  faithful- 
ness hast  afflicted  me."  ,      JOHN  SMITH. 


•i" 


■,  ''if.y 


lome  ;  in 


MORAL  REFLECTIONS. 

As  the  foregoing  interesting  Narrative,  will  prob»- 
biy  receive  an  extensive  circulation,  and  it  is  not  im- 
probable may  fall  into  the  hands  of  some,  who  may 
yet  remain  careless,  and  nnconcerned,  as  regards  the 
future  welfare  of  their  precious  and  immortal  souls, 
a  few  closing  moral  reflections  are,  by  another  hand, 
hereunto  annexed — which,  while  they  may  not  prove 
jp^  nnprotitable  to  any,  should  they  be  the  means  of  a^ 
^^■"viK^ikemng  and  reforming  a  single  individual  of  the 
class  alluded  to,  the  writer  will  consider  himself 
amply  repaid,  for  his  trouble  in  pennmg  them. 

The  melanchoUy  events  which  attended  Capt.  Ma- 
son, and  his  crew,  in  their  lale  voyage  (as  related  in 
the  prefteding  pages)  were  such  as  should  teach  all 
the  uncertainty  of  life,  the  danger  of  delay  in  the  great 
concerns  of  immortality  from  day  to  day— humon  life 
is  ''but  a  vapour  that  appeareth  for  a  little  time,  and 
then  vanisheth  away  !" — time,  like  a  long  flowing 
stream,  makes  haste  into  eternity,  andis  forever  lost 
and  swallowed  up  in  there  ;  and  while  it  is  hastening 
'  to  its  period,  it  sweeps  away  all  things  which  are  not 
immortal.     There  is  a  limit  appointed  by  providence 

V 


t 


i 


) 


■^  '-'  ■ 


:%'■ 


f 


31 


MORAL.  REFLECTfONSi 


to  the  duvation  of  all  the  pleasant  and  desirable  scene* 
of  life,,  to  all  the  works  of  the  hands  of  men,  with  ali 
th*  glories  and  exceilencief>  of  animal  nature,  and  all 
(hat  is  made  of  ftesh  anrf  blood.     Lei  us  not  therefore 
doat  crpon  any  thing  here   below,  for  Heaven  hath 
inscribed  vanity  upon  it.     iM^sterious  are  the  ways  of 
Providence  ;  the  same  wheel  which  raises  us  to  day, 
on  the  smooth,  unralHed  ocean  of  prosperity,  may, 
before  the  morrow,  rcll  us  in  the  stormy  sea  of  ad** 
f  ersity — mankind  in  thi»  world  are  ever  subject  to 
ills,  infirmities  and  disappointments — pains  and  per- 
plexities are  the  long  lived  plagues  of  human  exist- 
ence— but,  Religion,  is   the  balm  that  heals  those- 
wounds— it   was  this,  no  doubt,  that  preserved  and 
supported  the  unfortunate  Mrs.  Mason,  and  her  lit- 
tle son,  when  doomed  to  experience  one  of  ^be  se- 
verest trials  of  this  life— when  doomed  to  witness  the 
melaucholly  Hite  of  an  affectionate  husband,  and  par- 
ent, and  a  beloved  child  and  brother!— it  was  at  this 
trying  moment  th&t  he  sent  Religion  and   reason  to 
their  aid,  and' bid  them  not  to  grieve  for  them  whom 
they  could  not,  and  ought  not  wish  (o  recall  to  thiS' 
troublesome  world.     The  consideration  of  the  sor- 
rows of  this  life,  and  the  glories  of  the  next,,  is  our^^ 
best  support-"dark  are  the  wa)'t*  of  providence  whti^  ' 
we  are  wrapped  up  in  mortality  ;  but,  convinced  there 
is  a  God,  we  must  hope  and  believe^  (hat  all  is  right;. 
Kind  reader,  whatever  may   be  thy  rank  in  life, 
if  thon  would  wish  to  be  happy  in* this  world,  and  to 
»ecure  a  certainty  of  being  infinitely  more  so  in-  the 
world  ta  con»e,  \  pray  thee  cheriferh  Religion.    Where 
fan  any  object  be  found  so  proper  to  kindle  all  thir 
benevolent  and  tendipr  affections  as  the  Father  of  the 
Universe,  and  the  author  of  all  fehcity  ?     Unmoved 
by  veneration,  can  you  contemplate  that  grandeur 
and  majesty  which  his  works  every  where  display  X 
Untouched  by  gratitude,  can  vou  view  that  profosioa 
•fgood  ,  which  at  this  pleasing  season  of  life,  hisl^ 


I 


m 


•■»  ■'■ 


Ftn-T^ 


^•' 


MORAL  REFLECTtON9.  9 

nftficent  htind  ponri  oronnd  you  ?  huppy  in  the  love 
and  iiffectiori  ef  (hvie  Kith  «vhoBi  you  are  cnnnectedy 
look  up  to  the  SiipffiDe  he\n^  m  (he  Hinpirer  of  oli 
the  friendship  which  t^HD  ever  been  shown  }oa  by 
etheri  ;  himiilf  your  best  nnd  fir^t  friend  :  first 
the  tupporti^r  of  yoor  infimcy,  nnd  the  guide  of  your 
children;  Hnd  next  the  guardian  ofyouryeurh,  and 
the  hope  of  your  coming  years.  View  religiou« 
henwige,  »n  NniiturHl  expreoxion  of  gratitude  to  Hif» 
for  iiU  hil  ftoodneiit.  Consider  it  as  the  service  of 
the  Ood  of  voof  futkem  :  of  him  to  whom  your  par* 
enti  devoteo  you  ;  and  by  whom  they  are  now  re- 
warded and  blemed  in  heaven.  Connected  with  6» 
many  tender  itnuibiUties  of  soul,  let  Keligion  be  with 
vou,  not  the  cold  nnd  barren  offspringef  tpecuiatioD, 
but  the  warm  and  vigorous  dictates  of  the  heart. 

The  world  which  we  now  inhabit  is  a  world  of 
trials  and  lamptaliofli*  and  if  we  suffer  our  passions 
to  take  poiKi«»ion  of  us,  it  is  ne  easy  matter  tO' break 
their  force.    If  we  ence  give  a  loose  to  oar  appetite, 
we  know  not  when  to  hold  the  reign  :  nor  is  it  in  our 
power  atwayi  to  stop  short  of  vice  ;  so  trail  Is  hu- 
man nature  «o  strong  the  force  of  habit,  that  ^'it 
,  Ueaiier  to  suppress  the  first  desiVe  than  to  satisfy 
Iffrthat  follow  it/'  ti  a  maxim,  the  troth  ef  which^ 
many  unthinking  vouth  has,  too  late,  been  forced 
to  acknowledgf.     Keligion  is  the  only  balm  for  a 
wounded  ipirit.     It  is  the  cftfy  sure  staff  for  the 
'  weary  trovelltr  through  this  wilderness  of  misery 
and  iio«    What  an  inenpressible  grace  does  it  throw 
over  the  countenance  and  actions  of  its  sincere  vota- 
rieit    It  pnri^ei*  it  adoin?,  it  ennobles  our  nature*— 
and  a»  without  the  aid  of  a  telescope,  the  shipwreckedi 
•ailor  couhl  never  discern  in  the  for  off  horizon  the 
Teisel  that  ii  to  bring  him  relief,  but  might  abandon 
himself  to  deipair  :  so  without  religion  man's  view* 
would  be  conlined  to  n  narrow  circle  of  melanchotly- 
••'Hefiect  much  on  the  excellency  and  glory  of  i*^ 


\" 


■•^r# 


i\     I' 


f-i  - 


'  f^ 


w 
>"-«^!j 


^  Am 


96 


MORAL  REFLECTIONS. 


■•  -4 


,JBjvWK|t, 


ligian.  It  it  a  friend  in  advemity.  When  every 
earthljr  hope  fails,  and  the  sool  is  ready  to  f>ay  oi' 
■II  human  helpers,  **  miserable  comforters  are  ye 
nil  }*'  then  religion  is  a  friend  indeed.  Are  not  those 
blessed,  whom  God  blsMes  ;  safe  whom  he  protectsi} 
and  strong  whom  he  strengthens  t  can  any  one  say 
with  David,  **  The  Lord  is  my  refuge,  I  will  not 
fear,  thoagh  the  earth  be  removed,  and  the  moun- 
tains cast  into  the  midst  of  the  sea  ;'*  or  with  PauK 
**  Neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  ang:els,  nor  princi« 
palities,  nor  powers,  ror  things  to  come,  nor  heigih, 
nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creatnre,  shall  be  able  to 
seperate  us  from  the  love  «f  God  which  i»  rn  Christ 
Jesus  our  Lord,'*  can  any  one  say  this,  without  beu>§^ 
jHfispeafcably  happy  ?       . 

Oh,  thou !  who  f>lt'»t  enthroned  on  high. 

In  viewless  »plendoar  rayed  ^ 
Before  the  lustre  of  whose  eye  \a 

The  brightest  glories  fade. 

Though  thoQ  art  high,  yet  thoa  dost  hewr 
The  lowly  suppliant's  moan  ;  "    . 

Though  thoa  art  great,  each  secf  et  tear  ''V^:> 


Begem:)  thy  radiant  throne. . 

When  shafts  of  anguish  wound  the  soal. 

Thy  healing  balm  is  nigh  ; 
When  tempestf)  rise,  and  billows  roll, 

To  thee,  alone,  we  fly. 

I^Then  hush  !  dark  sorrow's  weeping  child, 
'^    Tost  on  this  troub'Ious  sea, 
In  strains  of  peace  he  whispers  mild, 
'*  Fear  not !  for  I'm  with  thee  !*'    • 


-:  \ 


\ 


^^y'^'m^e:  ^^fiM-^r  '  ' 


ten  every 
to  finy  oi' 
ra  are  ye 
t  not  those 
i  protects*^ 
J  one  SHy 
\  will  not 
the  moun- 
with  Paul, 
or  princi- 
lor  htfigih, 
be  !)ble  to 
•  rn  Christ 
hoiit  bein§^ 


liigh. 


hear 


tear 


Hi, 

I, 


child. 


(!'«'  ■ 


